13 Responses to “You’re Making Me Crazy”

This is an excruciatingly difficult read of a life that was difficult before breast cancer and still is. We can only wish that NAMI had advocated for her — or someone along this horrible chain of events – – before her mental suffering became so clear. It is almost impossible to say where, since she was seen by so many different people, the entire trajectory could have been interrupted.

Those who are underserved, those with mental illness, become used to being victims. I believe the term is called ‘learned helplessness.’ And no one saw it.

This is very powerful. Thank you for telling this woman’s story. Thank you for speaking out about an inadequate health care system. Thank you for asking the tough questions. Thank you for caring, not enough people do.

Speechless. Still processing. Grateful for your caring, your understanding, your advocacy, for your amazing rendering of this story, and for telling it on behalf of the person who could not. Much love. <3

I was not at all shocked by the treatment this poor woman received.. I was recently at the hospital ER with my son who had just had open heart surgery the week before and was experiencing pain, headaches, nosebleeds and coughing up blood. the staff were quite abrupt.. one even saying he should have gone to the hospital where he had the surgery ( out of town) and another saying the wait whould be several hours. needless to say once he got into triage things were moved along quite quickly and he is okay.
I undenderstand that our medical system is overwhelmed ( I live in canada) and it is almost impossible to get a new family doctor but the way these ‘professionals’ treat their patients is not acceptable,

Sickening, heartwrenching, sobering.
It doesn’t just happen in the US. Health care all over is in complete crisis.
A woman I know, a sole parent (in Australia) has three daughters: one is autistic, one is bipolar and one is a very sick alcoholic. The autistic daughter had a physical altercation with her mother and the mother fell and smashed the ball of her hip-joint clean off her thigh bone. She spent 3 days on a trolley, on morphine waiting for surgery because of theatre closures.
What the hell is going on in our ‘civilized’ countries?
Mastectomy, which also has the bonus health event of PTS attached to it, is a horror in itself without all the rest of it.
This breaks my heart.

Thank you, everyone. It exhausted me just to tell this story. Never mind living it.

It is ironic that today is the same day that Komen announced it will stop funding Planned Parenthood, which helps so many poor and underinsured women with mammograms & other health care services. Nancy Brinker has long found many of her cronies among the rich right, who object to a woman’s right to choose, and who we know also object to the poor having access to healthcare. Big surprise. Not.

I could write another whole post about my own responses to the story in this one. I probably will write yet another post about Komen.

It was a tragedy of errors and omissions and even callousness, Deanna. A wretched mix to contemplate. It gives me pause, as someone who works in healthcare, and makes me want to redouble my efforts to ask the right questions of my patients and listen long and hard. It’s so easy to jump to the wrong conclusion, before you have the whole story, and thus give inadequate advice.

This is truly a heart wrenching post that had me in tears. Not only does the woman have to lose her breasts and deal with breast cancer, but she has to deal with a heartless medical system. I’m so saddened for this woman. Nobody should have to go through the indignities she went through.

Frankly, though, I’m not surprised. Health care is a misnomer for far too many people. Thank you for this powerful post.

Thank you for sharing this story. Though it was very difficult to read, I feel privileged to bear witness to the experience.

Hugs!

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

If A New Comment Is Posted:

The Accidental Amazon

“Symmetry is vastly overrated.”

Skewering the pinksploitation of breast cancer since 2009.

Search This Blog

Archive

Archive

A Best Breast Cancer Blog

Seven Years in A Row!

Be A Fearless Friend

“Who does she think she is?”

I'm a symmetry-challenged Baby-Boomer, an artist, writer & closet geek with a day job as a healthcare clinician. In 2008, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thus far, I've lived to complain about it -- and there's a lot to complain about, in the healthcare system & in the rampant merchandising of this disease. Change does not happen in silence, so I choose to speak out & question the status quo, with gusto, soul-searching, analysis & research, in the hope that it might help. A little skepticism is healthier than a lot of disillusionment.

I’m Good But I’m Not Your Doctor

Now, I like to think I provide solid information on this blog. But nothing you read here can replace seeing your doctor if you need medical help. By all means, read a little first so you can ask good questions. But then go get help so you can come back & tell me how it went. Just take good care of yourself. I need you to come back &tell me what a fabulous job I'm doing.

Copyright

Unless otherwise attributed, all blog contents, illustrations and original images are created by & are the sole property of Kathi Kolb, copyright 2008-2018, all rights reserved. Apart from legitimate links, attributions and feeds, no content may be reproduced, quoted or used without express permission from Kathi Kolb, author, artist & blog administrator.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." 1980, John Lennon, from the song Beautiful Boy